


It's Only A Game

by lovehugsandcandy



Category: Ride or Die (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 16:54:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18553888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovehugsandcandy/pseuds/lovehugsandcandy
Summary: Colt beats Ellie in a game of pool but really, everyone loses.





	1. Chapter 1

Ellie wandered around the floor of the shop, aimless, her feet echoing on the cement floor. Logan, Mona, and Ximena had left for a job while Toby puttered around on an engine outside. Colt was nowhere to be found and Kaneko was taking more of his cryptic meetings, whatever that entailed. Since her fight with her dad, she had been feeling aimless and was looking for a distraction, any distraction.

She slowly climbed the stairs to the break room and stopped short. Colt was deep in thought, spinning the triangle from the pool table in agile hands.

“Hey.”

He stopped short. “Hey yourself.” He raised his eyebrows. “Need something?”

“Nope. Just saying hi. Like a normal social interaction. Which normal people do.”

He chuckled. “Sorry. Just thinking things over.”

“The Brotherhood?”

“Yeah. I just….” He sounded helpless. “I just don’t know what to do.”

“Need a distraction?”

Colt raised his left eyebrow and smirked. Ellie hated that smirk. “A distraction….what exactly are you thinking?”

Ellie grinned, relieved to be back on familiar ground. She motioned to the pool table. “Wanna play a game?”

Colt laughed. “You already beat me once, remember? I don’t think you have anything else to prove.”

“Double or nothing.”

Colt laughed, starting to rack the balls. “Deal. But what is double? I know you made your boyfriend run around naked but, if I am going to be arrested, I don’t want it to be for that.”

“Oh my God, he’s not my boyfriend.” Colt smirked again but said nothing. Ellie took a deep breath. “How about a kiss?”

Colt smoothly lifted the triangle from the table and turned to her, silently considering her. Ellie waited. “That seems like you win regardless, If you win, you kiss me and if I win, I kiss you?” He slowly walked toward her with measured steps. She was starting to feel trapped. “Seems like a great deal for you.” His stare never wavered, intense. Ellie would have stepped backwards but the wall right there. He stopped inches in front of her, so close she could see the shades in his eyes, his individual lashes, so close that if she moved forward she would be giving into the almost irresistible urge to just touch. Slowly, he reached up, past her shoulder, and grabbed a cue stick from the rack behind her. “I’ll break.”

He broke eye contact first and turned back to the pool table and Ellie shifted as his warmth receded. She shook her head. “It’s actually a great deal for you. Unless you want to run outside the shop naked.”

“Of all the ways I could go to jail, that might be my least favorite.” He broke and the balls scattered, bouncing strongly around the table. Nothing fell and Ellie was up.

She surveyed the table briefly. “What would be your favorite way then?”

She managed to pocket two balls, stripes, before her third shot bounced harmlessly off the wall of the table.

She turned and he was considering her with a smirk on his face. “Why? Are you looking to get yourself arrested? Or looking for the most pleasurable way to send me to jail?” He also pocketed two balls in quick succession and turned to study the table. Ellie watched his profile, the curve of his nose and sharp cut of his jaw line. Even in the florescent light, he was impossibly handsome.

“Well, if public nudity isn’t your thing, I assume it’s grand theft auto. Or speed racing? Either one would fit.” Colt shot and missed, but he managed to put the cue ball in a really tricky spot.

He turned and raised an eyebrow at her. “Your turn.”

Ellie basically had no shot, with the scattering of the balls on the table, but managed to knock one of Colt’s solids away from the corner pocket. However it also opened the table up for him to pocket three more.

Ellie’s had just leaned down to shoot when he spoke again. “I think we could come up with far better ways to get arrested.” He came up behind her and bent over her, looking down the cue. She could feel his breath on her ear, his arm over her back. He slid his hand down her arm, a feather of a touch that Ellie didn’t know if it were real or imagination. She could feel the goosebumps follow the path of his hand and her stomach dipped. He turned her cue slightly to the left. “That’s your better shot.”

She turned her head to stare him down. “I didn’t ask.”

“True. But if you hit the one you were aiming at, you don’t have a follow up shot. And I was really hoping to make a game of this.”

Ellie surveyed the table. He was right. She could see the strategy behind his advice. One she pocketed the green, the cue ball would roll closer to the far end of the table, where she could hopefully knock in the two stripes there. Maybe he did used to run the table.

She turned, pivoting to the green stripe. “Fine.” Colt remained at her shoulder, watching down the end of her stick. Ellie bit her lip and it took every inch of her willpower to not get distracted. They both watched the ball as she struck and it rolled into the side pocket.

She turned, looking at Colt. They were again inches apart and Ellie felt herself being pulled closer. “Thanks,” she murmured. Colt shifted infinitesimally and Ellie closed her eyes. However, she felt him abruptly stand up and put distance between them.

“Still your shot.”

Ellie was distracted and missed wildly. So much for that strategy. She tallied the score while the cue ball bounced around the table. There were only two solids out, while four stripes remained. So Colt was up by two.

“You never agreed to the bet.” Ellie knew she was playing with fire. Colt looked at her across the table.

“Well, I know I’m going to win. It feels a bit like stacking the deck now.”

He knocked in yet another solid as Ellie watched. “You know what, Colt? I feel like you only play games that you know you’re going to win.”

He stared at her for a long time, so long she wanted to fidget, but she knew she didn’t want to be the one to yield. “Ellie, I don’t think either one of us are gonna win this game.” He knocked in the maroon solid and sat back in his heels.

Ellie paused. She knew they weren’t talking about pool anymore and her heart was in her throat.

“Last shot. 8 ball, corner pocket.” Colt looked at her meaningfully.

Ellie raised her eyebrows. “Don’t choke.”

Colt smirked. “I won’t.” She wanted to kiss the smirk from his lips.

He bent down to the table just as the bay doors clanged loudly downstairs. Ellie turned to the stairs and could hear Mona, Ximena, and Logan discussing their evening. When she turned back to Colt, he was staring at her intensely.

At Ellie’s puzzled look, Colt yelled to the others. “Logan, you better get your ass up here. I’m about to beat your girlfriend.”

Ellie could hear the gang coming upstairs as Colt turned back to the table and sank the shot. He stood, biting his lip, and looked at her. “Game.” He looked strangely vulnerable and Ellie just stared and wanted.

Logan charged into the room. “Did I miss it?”

Colt looked between the two of them. “Yeah. You guys can play. Have a good night.”

Ellie watched as he handed over his cue stick and headed down the stairs. She felt vaguely like she missed something. Logan turned to her. “I’ll rack? We had a great night.”

Ellie nodded, letting his words wash over her as her mind was far away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one can sleep, Colt and Ellie talk, and Toby is bae.

Ellie rubbed her eyes and rolled over again. How had only seven minutes gone by since the last time she looked at the time?!? It felt like an eternity.

She turned to look at Logan, sleeping peacefully on the couch. 3:17. If she fell asleep now, she could get almost five hours of sleep before the sun blazed through the window.

She groaned and rolled out of bed, sneaking through Logan’s loft and softly closing the door behind her. She slowly crept down the stairs and onto the floor of the shop. It was still, dim, and she wandered, grazing her fingers across all the cars in turn. Her new car. Logan’s speedster. Colt’s motorcycle. She loved the feel of the cool metal under her fingertips It was insane that she had finally gotten her license and could see all these amazing wheels basically on demand.

She paused as she heard a door creak. Colt padded up the stairs and headed for the break room. He looked as tired as she felt. She stood as possible, not daring to breathe, and watched him head up the stairs into the break room. She had never seen him without his leather jacket and the fact that he was wearing his worn grey shirt and pajama pants made him look softer than she had ever seen him.

She walked over to the break room stairs, quietly, just as he was coming back down, spinning a bottle of water in his hands. “Couldn’t sleep?”

He started, almost dropping the bottle. “Jesus, Elle. Where did you come from?” He studied her and frowned. “You couldn’t sleep either?”

“Nah. I think we all have a lot on our minds.”

“Yeah.” He looked down, shaking his head and gesturing behind him. “I’m gonna-”

Ellie interrupted him. “You never got your kiss.” She was proud that her voice didn’t shake and somehow summoned the courage to continue. She was sick of this push-pull between them; sometimes she felt like Colt was hot enough to burn while other times he would just shut down and revert back to sarcasm. “You did win the game.”

Colt just stared at her. “Ellie, you have a boyfriend. I’m not going to do that to him…or me.” He paused, looking at her guiltily. “I just…I can’t.”

“He is not my boyfriend! Why is everyone so hung up on the idea that—”

“Ellie,” Colt interrupted her. “You spend all your time with him.”

“That doesn’t mean-”

“You’re sleeping in his bed!” Ellie froze, surprised at Colt’s tone. Was he angry? Hurt? He continued, softer. “You’re sleeping in his bed, Ellie. Come on.”

Ellie took two steps forward. “You know he’s sleeping on the couch, right?”

“Ellie, stop.”

She shook her head. “He’s sleeping on the couch and is letting me sleep in his bed because he is a good friend. That’s it.” She paused. “Where else am I supposed to sleep?”

“El-”

She took another step. “Colt, where do you want me to sleep?”

She saw him swallow hard but he didn’t back down from her challenging gaze. “Ellie…if you were in my bed, I can guarantee that you wouldn’t be wandering around up here if you couldn’t sleep.” His eyes never left hers as she gasped, barely a whisper. “I guarantee you that you would-”

“Hello?”

Colt’s eyes widened as Toby’s voice sounded out across the floor. He grabbed Ellie’s hand and pulled, dropping them both to the concrete. She opened her mouth but Colt reached a strong arm around and covered her mouth.

Toby took a few steps closer in the darkness. “Hello? I swear, I just want to talk….I can help you find peace. ”

Ellie crinkled her nose, completely confused. She turned to Colt, but he was shaking. It took a minute, but she realized he was holding back laughter. “Colt?” she whispered, “what’s going on?”

Colt shook his head, barely keeping it together, and grabbed her hand, pulling her behind Kaneko’s Aylesbury, further from Toby. The water bottle started to roll under the car, but Colt was able to stop it just before it entered Toby’s field of vision.

“Really, I can help you. I read two help books on crossing over to the other side; I know what to do.” Ellie peered around the car; Toby was looking at the rafters of the ceiling and muttering to himself.

She turned back to Colt, who was still laughing. He caught her eye and flashed a brilliant smile. “He thinks the shop is haunted. He’s convinced that someone lives here who needs help crossing over to the other side.”

“What? Why on earth?” She looked closely at Colt. “Did…did you have something to do with this?”

Colt dissolved into silent laughter again and Ellie peered around the car. Toby was shaking his head. “I will leave you be but please know I want to help. You must have so many stories, keeping watch here. One day…” He turned back down the hall and mournfully padded back to his room.

Ellie stood and stared at Colt, who was still laughing on the ground. “Why does Toby think the shop is haunted?”

Colt pushed himself off the ground and Ellie didn’t know if she had even seen the smile on his face. “I may have had something to do with it.” He at least had the sense to look slightly guilty. “I have to make my own fun sometimes…”

Ellie shook her head. “I don’t know if I will every understand this crew.”

Colt’s face fell and his eyes hardened. “There’s not much to understand. Just a bunch of punks lifting cars.” He looked past her and shook his head. “I’m going to bed.”

Ellie watched him abruptly turn on his heel and start to thump away.

“What the hell,” she said it more to herself and, before she could lose her nerve, followed him, grabbing his arm and spinning him. “What the hell, Colt? What crawled up your ass?”

“How exactly is this going to end? You’re living in some bizarre double life. What exactly are you going to do when shit gets real?” His eyes blazed as he looked down at her. “This is my life, my family. Your dad, you know he won’t be happy until we’re in jail. This is insane!”

“Colt-”

He was on a roll. “Not to mention Logan and-”

"My not boyfriend.”

He stopped. That, at least, got a smirk out of him. “Yes, your not boyfriend.” He turned somber. “Ellie, can’t you see how insane this all is?”

“Colt-” She had nothing to say. The last few days had been absolutely insane and, as much as she missed her dad, when she stared at Colt, she just couldn’t think of any regrets. “You know what, you’re right.” 

Colt stopped and stared at her. A smirk started blooming on his face. “You know, I never thought I would see the day. Say it again.”

“Colt-”

“No, really,  _this_ might be the best thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

Ellie shook her head, fondly. “You are right. All of those things are true. And, it feels like all I have been doing is trying to convince you otherwise while you run away. So I will stop.” Colt froze and looked at her uncertainly. “I’ll stop. All I want you to do is tell me you don’t want me. Tell me you don’t want to kiss me. Tell me you don’t feel it too. And I’ll stop.” She shrugged and tilted her head at him.

He stood there dumbfounded. “Ellie, I….” He trailed off and let out a shaky sigh. “Ellie…”

She waited as he opened and closed his mouth a few times. And waited. Finally, Colt made up his mind and stalked off into the darkness. “I’m going to bed.” 

Ellie felt her stomach fall. She watched him leave and bent to get the water bottle. She had been so close… She stood as she heard footsteps coming back.

Colt stopped in front of her. “Don’t you ever…” His voice was gruff, hoarse, “don’t you ever,  _ever_ , for a fucking second, think I don’t want you.” He reached up and touched her cheek, trailing his fingers up her face, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Ellie couldn’t look away from his eyes; he looked at her lips for a beat, then two, and finally took a step backwards. “Goodnight.”

Ellie watched his back as he walked away and looked down, smiling. Maybe she didn’t get everything she wanted but, for tonight, she thinks she got enough.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew has a job to do and Colt wants to make sure that Ellie is prepared, with no ulterior motives at all.

“You really think this is necessary?” Ellie nervously eyed the chain link fence and junkers littering the lot. “You’re kinda scaring me.”

Colt shook his head. “Maybe you should be scared. At least you should be more scared than you are.”

“I told you. My dad taught me to defend myself. I’m not some damsel.”

“Believe me, I knew that when I met you,” Colt scoffed. He shrugged out of his leather jacket and draped it over a car hood. “But he also wasn’t preparing you for where we’re going. And I won’t be there to have your back.”

“But Logan-”

Colt scoffed. “He won’t be there the whole time either. So you’re going to be on your own for a bit.” He turned and faced her, about six feet away. “Ok, let’s see what you got.”

“This seems a little artificial.” Ellie looked at him dubiously. “What, you just want me to attack you?”

“No, I am going to attack you. I want to see you stop me. If it were real, your first move would be to run. This is only if you get into a situation where you can’t get away. You ready?" 

"I guess?”

Almost a blur, he jumped at her before she had truly processed what was happening. Quickly, she dove to the side, landing hard in the dirt of the lot. She jumped up, putting her fists in front of her face. “What the hell?!?!”

“I asked if you were ready!” Colt stood, smirking at her. “Do you think The Brotherhood is going to ask if they can come after you?!?”

Ellie fumed at him. Her side didn’t exactly hurt, but she could feel where she landed. “Ok, jerk. Now I’m ready.”

He lunged, but Ellie was prepared. He came straight at her, but Ellie dodged at the last second, spinning away. He came after her, again, just as fast, but Ellie was expecting it and managed to use his momentum to push him to the side. He was bigger than her, stronger. She knew she needed to catch him unaware.

“Ok, you can dodge me. What happens if you need to engage?”

Ellie raised her eyebrows. “I could just dodge you forever.”

“Which would work if you had help coming, but what if you’re alone?” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m not going to hurt you, but someone might.”

Ellie narrowed her eyes. “I know you’re not going to hurt me; I won’t let you.”

He smirked and lunged; she pushed him off again but this time stood her ground, managing to get a quick fist to his shoulder.

“Use my weight against me. Anyone after you is probably going to be bigger than you so need to use their leverage against them.”

When he came at her again, she tried to maneuver him away so she could grab him from behind, but he was able to get a hand on her wrist and spin her so she was the one being caught.

“Dammit,” she struggled a little but knew it was futile.

Colt laughed, low in her ear. She could feel his chest against her back, muscles solid against her. “Good idea, but you moved too soon.” He released her, backing up. “Let’s try it again. This time, try to wait a little longer before you spin, then make sure you use both arms around my elbows. You need to make sure I can’t break away before you bring me down.”

She nodded, watching him warily. When he sprung, she was ready. At the last moment, she dodged, giving him a quick push before wrapping both of her arms around him and pushing them both to the dirt.

“Nice! Good!” He struggled a bit but she held firm, using her legs to keep him pinned to the ground. “Good job.” Dust was starting to drift around them but Ellie held firm.

“Ummm….now what would I do?”

Colt laughed. "In a real fight? Grab something heavy and knock me out.”

She looked around with a grin. “Man, I wish I had a frying pan right about now.”

Colt swiveled to look at her. “Ok. That would work….I’m going to get up now.”

“Maybe I have you where I want you…” she pushed him harder into the ground.

He just smirked and twisted, pushing out and rolling away. “Ok, now I want you to get out of my hold.”

“What.”

Colt raised his eyebrows. “Just come here. If someone gets the drop on you, you need to be able to escape. Stand here and I am going to come up behind you. You want to either use your elbows or go for the face.”

He came up behind her and grabbed her, one arm around her waist and one around her shoulders. Ellie shifted, trying to find a weakness, but all she could feel was Colt’s strong hold around her. He was so close and, instead of wanting to get away, all she wanted to do was burrow into him. He felt safe and warm and she wondered if he would be adverse to future sparring sessions.

“Umm….this isn’t exactly making me want to escape.”

A sharp laugh. “Ellie, focus.”

Ellie narrowed her eyes. She knew she couldn’t overpower him but maybe she didn’t have to. She had always been better at brains, anyways. She started struggling halfheartedly and, as soon as he tightened his arm around her waist, she turned her head, looking into his eyes. “Aren’t we going to talk about last night?”

“What?!?” he was incredulous, relaxing slightly, which was just the opening Ellie was looking for. She brought her elbow to his stomach and, as soon as he relaxed his arms, she spun and pushed as hard as she could.

Colt stared at her. “That was cheating. But nicely done, I guess. I don’t think it will work tonight though.”

Ellie looked at him through lowered lashes. “Does that mean we’re not going to talk about last night?”

“That would be correct. Let’s run that again.” He stood behind her wrapping a hand around her neck. She let her body fall into his and started working her arm up, trying to protect her throat.

“We could also talk about the fact that I owe you a kiss.”

Colt flinched and Ellie took the opportunity to slam her head backwards, managing to connect with something. He flailed backwards and crashed to the ground, holding his chin.

“Crap, I am so sorry, I am so sorry!” Ellie crouched in front of him and pulled his hand away, checking his jaw.

Colt swatted her hand away. “No, that was great. That is exactly what you need to do…”

"Yeah, but I hurt you.”

“I’m fine.” He gave her an encouraging smile still rubbing his jaw. “Seriously, that was perfect." 

She sat in the dust next to him. "Are you really that worried about tonight?”

“Not really. The plan is solid. I just don’t like that the crew won’t have your back.” Ellie looked at him curiously as he hung his head. “I don’t like that I won’t have your back.”

“Hey. If this is what we have to do to pacify The Brotherhood, it’s what we’ll do. I’m not scared.”

Colt was somber. “I told you, maybe you should be scared.”

“I am literally the lookout. There will be nothing going on.” Ellie rolled her eyes at him but Colt only shook his head. 

“Yeah, but we need to stay one step ahead. And that means planning for anything.”

“You haven’t planned for everything.”

“What do you mean?”

Ellie grinned. “You never planned for me.” Before she could think twice, she leaned in and kissed him. Just a peck. A thank you. And her first kiss.

“Ellie…” He blinked once, twice, and then surged forward, cupping her jaw and bringing their lips together. Whereas the first kiss was an innocent meeting of lips, this kiss felt like she was drowning. She grabbed the front of his t-shirt, fisting it in her hands as she slid into his lap. All she could see was sparks behind her eyelids as he ran his hands up her thighs and settled them around her waist. She may not have had experience kissing, but she had thought through the mechanics many times. However, this was surpassing any of her expectations and it was all she could do to hold on, meeting Colt’s lips over and over again.

“Ellie,” he moaned, moving his lips to the side of her neck below her ear. “Fuck.” She tilted her head back and moaned as his lips and teeth found a sensitive spot. His hands slid underneath the back of her shirt and she circled her hips, desperate for something she couldn’t explain.

“Excuse me.” They both jumped and turned to look at Mona. “As hot as this is, Colt, we leave in five. Ellie, I gave Logan your outfit. Save it for after the job, people. Jesus.” Mona turned and sauntered back into the garage.

“Crap.” Ellie stood up first, followed by Colt. “I didn’t mean for…"  She looked at him uncertainly and trailed off.

"Dammit,” Colt just pulled her closer, cupping her waist with his hands. “I knew if I kissed you that I would never want to stop.” He pressed his lips to hers again, chastely. “I really need to go though.”

“Never?” Ellie smiled slyly, tugging his belt loops until his hips were flush with hers.

Colt kissed her again, trailing his fingers up her back.“You’ll see after the job.” He grabbed his leather jacket and turned to go.

“Hey,” Ellie grabbed his arm. “Be careful out there.”

Colt smirked and gave her one last kiss. “You too.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew needs three rare cars to pacify The Brotherhood so Ellie and Logan go undercover.

Ellie slid into the rideshare, making sure to gather the fabric of her dress in alongside her. It was undoubtedly the nicest thing she had ever worn, the delicate beading falling in waves down her body and the thin fabric skimming her hips.

She turned to Logan as he shut the door behind him. “You look dapper.” She grinned and reached out to straighten his bow tie. He was in a tux, black, tailored to fit. For someone who had never been accustomed to the finer things, he sure pulled it off well. 

“Thanks,” he grinned at her. He pulled on the lapels of his jacket and struck a pose. “It is going to be weird living it up like rich people tonight. I am definitely looking forward to being a fly on the wall.”

“You know Brent. Didn’t you get enough of that lifestyle at his parties?” Ellie leaned back in her seat and pulled her purse closer. It contained two tickets to the Los Angeles Arts Association Masquerade Ball and she needed to be conscious not to lose them.

Logan looked at her and shrugged. “This feels different. Brett is rich but these people are on another level; not only did they pay to get in, but they are donating more than most people see in a year.” He grinned at her and winked. “I also have the most gorgeous date in the house.”

Ellie chuckled and elbowed him. “Nice try, charmer. Here we are.” The rideshare pulled up to the elegant gates of a West LA mansion. The owners, some couple who owned a baseball team, had a palatial home and Ellie felt her jaw drop as she stepped out of the cab.

Logan let out a low whistle. “Not too shabby.” 

Ellie could only nod and look at him. “Ready?” She pulled out the elaborate gold mask out of her purse and grabbed the tickets.

“Ready.” They took turns fastening their masquerade masks. Finally, with their disguises on, Logan held out his arm and they headed up the marble steps together. Ellie’s heels clinked with each step and she had never felt more glamorous in her life. 

After handing over their tickets, they entered a receiving line to greet the hosts. “Thank you for having us,“ Ellie smiled and shook the hand of a distinguished looking gentleman. His giant watch sparkled in the chandeliers of the entryway and he looked vaguely bored. This was all so formal she felt like she should curtsy. Next to her, Logan put a hand protectively on the small of her back and forced a grin.

"Hello. I’m Danny.” The boy next to the baseball owner smiled, all teeth, and instead of shaking her hand, kissed her palm. He looked like he was Ellie’s age and would have been cute if not for the aggressive leer on his face. She forced a smile and could audibly hear Logan’s teeth grinding next to her.

Ellie plastered a smile on her face and began the slow process of extracting her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I’m Logan,” he aggressively butt in, shaking Danny’s hand, eyes hard.

“Of course,” Danny smiled again but this time, it did not reach his eyes. “Please enjoy our party." 

Logan led her through the party with a hand on her back. Dipping low, he whispered in her ear, "I am so looking forward to lifting a few cars off their hands.” The squeezed though what felt like an interminable mass of people until, finally, they were able to separate from the crowd. Together, they headed over to a quiet corner to strategize. Logan looked at her intently. “Do you remember the plan?”

“Of course.” Ellie nodded, trying to contain the butterflies. “We mingle and, in five minutes, you sneak out the back and open the garden gate for Colt and Mona. I stay here. You get the cars. I watch the back door to the garage. If anyone goes down…” She trailed off. The earpieces hadn’t been discrete enough for this mission so they were relying on a bit of improvisation.

“If anyone goes down, try to head them off. If you can’t, try to be loud so we know someone’s coming.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, their weight comforting Ellie as she nodded. “You’ve got this.”

“Ok. Let’s do this.” Together, they wandered over to get appetizers, stole a flute of Champagne (Ellie decided against drinking it, but couldn’t deny it looked stunning against the navy of her dress), and circled the party, mapping out possible exits. 

All too soon, Logan nodded. “Ok. I’m headed out.” He squeezed her elbow and looked intently into her eyes, nodding. “Have fun. You’ve got this.”

Ellie watched him walk down the hall and fade into the distance. She took a deep breath and looked around. “Ok.” She muttered to herself. “Go time.”

She started to mingle, trying to make the most of the party while keeping an eye on the back entrance to the garage. She tried appetizer after appetizer, fended off advances from a couple of people who probably shouldn’t be driving home, and tried to look as natural as possible. It was hard when she didn’t know anyone but, given the theme, she supposed she was lucky. She could hide behind her mask and no one knew her either; she felt a certain safety in that.

She was edging down the hall, heading towards the bathroom, when she saw the creep from the front door, Danny, stop outside the door to the garage. He looked around, completely confused and then, to Ellie’s horror, he opened the door and peered inside. Before she could move, he had taken two steps inside and shut the door behind him.

“Crap. Crap crap crap.” Ellie walked as quickly as she could towards the door, frantically thinking as she went. She had no idea what she was going to say but, before she could talk herself out of it, she opened the door and quietly ducked in after him.

Once she shut the door, it took a minute for her eyes to adjust. There was some moonlight coming through the windows but it was mostly dark. She squinted, trying to find where he went. The cars were there, at least, so she couldn’t see anything dramatically askew in the room; hopefully, Danny was also seeing nothing.

She crept down the stairs and finally saw him, standing next to the giant garage doors. “Hello?” he called out, looking around. He must have heard something; if they made it out of here, she was going to be sure to give Colt hell for this.

Internally debating, she thought that she might be able to get the jump on him, but decided to try something safer. “Danny?” she called.

He twirled around, startled, and she continued down the stairs. “Hi. Sorry. I saw you duck in and just had to follow you…. It’s Ellie, remember me?”

As she stepped into the moonlight, he visibly relaxed. “Of course I remember you. Where is your date?”

Ellie sighed. “I think he actually left me here. He was talking to some girl and now I can’t find him anywhere.” She trailed off, biting her lip. “It’s just so sad being here alone; I think I might head out and wanted to say good-”

“No, no, no.” Danny interrupted her and moved closer. “Are you sure you want to leave?”

She looked up at him, biting her lip and trying her best to play the part. “Well, I mean, I was having fun but it is so lonely-”

He cut her off. “Stay with me. I was just looking at our car collection and I would love to show you.” 

Her eyes widened and she had to think fast. She turned her lips down and sighed. “I was actually hoping to dance but now….”

Danny grabbed her arm. “Would you dance with me?”

“Really?” She lowered her eyes and then gazed up at him. “I mean, I don’t want to bother you…but it would be nice to get to know you.” She cocked her head at him and touched his shoulder, letting her hand trail down his arm. She thought she heard a thump in the darkness of the garage, but relaxed when the only thing Danny did was take his sweet time looking down her body and back up to her face.

He nodded eagerly and grabbed her hand, leading her back up the stairs. “Of course.” She had to suppress a smile; were boys always this easy?

~~~~~

Ellie had no idea where they were in the timeline but she knew that having him see either the crew or the missing cars would throw a serious wrench in the plans. Unfortunately, while rerouting Danny was a success, that meant she now had a new shadow at the party. Gratefully, he didn’t insist on a second dance but now he was at her shoulder and would not be dissuaded. He was telling her some story about the Maldives and Ellie thought she would fall asleep of boredom when she felt a gentle hand on her elbow.

“Excuse me. Could I have this dance?” Ellie looked up in confusion. Colt was standing there, looking slightly out of place, wearing Logan’s tuxedo jacket and mask, with a devil-may-care grin on his face.

Ellie opened her mouth and then closed it again. He only grinned wider. “Sure,” she said, clutching his outstretched hand. 

She could hear Danny sputtering behind her about how she said she was tired but she was only paying attention to Colt. He led her though the crowd, to the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by couples swaying and laughing. Turning around, he grinned impishly at her. “Hey.”

Ellie looked around at the couples gliding to some slow pop ballad. When no one was paying attention, she stopped to stare incredulously at him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“What do you mean? And you don’t know who I am; I’m in disguise.” He jiggled the mask on his face at her.

“Seriously?!” Ellie rolled her eyes at him. “I would know you anywhere. And I also know that you have somewhere else to be.”

Colt shrugged. “We had ten minutes to wait before we could sneak out the driveway. I figured that I should enjoy the festivities too.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. “So….you should know that I don’t really dance.”

Ellie sighed, putting her arms around his shoulders. “Then why are you out here?” Her dress was so thin that she could feel all of his fingers resting on her back. She could not afford to get distracted.

“For the caviar?”

Ellie cuffed his ear. “This isn’t part of the plan.” They were slowly swaying now and, if Ellie closed her eyes, she could almost imagine she was at prom. That was a different world, one where she had continued on her same-old muted path; she couldn’t go back now. There the everything was drab, grey. Here, it was vibrant, almost too intense. She was different too; she was both terrified and bold but she couldn’t give up the life between her fingertips.

“I made the plan. It’s my plan. I can change it.” He smirked, tightening his fingers around her waist. “I also wanted to make sure Richie Rich over there behaved himself.”

Ellie glared at him. “Seriously? You thought I couldn’t handle one dance with him?” 

“I just…” Colt trailed off. He looked at something behind her for a few seconds before turning back to her. “I just-”

“You just what?” She shook her head before she froze, realization dawning. “Wait, you were there. In the garage.”

“Yeah, we were there. Nice save, by the way. Much better than plan B.” He pulled her closer, fingertips on her lower back. “Plan B would have been rough.”

“What was plan B?” Ellie looked up.

Colt shrugged. “Probably make a break for it.” He smirked at her dumbfounded expression.

“Didn’t you say that you needed to prepare for anything?”

He grinned, reaching up and tracing his fingers over the delicate mask on her face. “And didn’t you say that I wasn’t prepared for you?” He trailed his fingers down her cheek to the back of her neck.

“And you’re not.” Ellie tilted her head and looked up at him with a smile, but he wasn’t looking at her face anymore. He was watching his fingers slowly trail down her neck to her shoulders, a ghost of a touch. Ellie froze; Colt glanced at her and, emboldened now, continued. The gentle fingers kept going, sliding under the strap of her gown and he slowly trailed them down, tracing the line of the beading as it curved delicately across her chest. Whereas Danny’s eyes on her had made her feel vaguely dirty, Colt’s focus was different. She felt warmth blooming in her stomach and she couldn’t move, couldn’t think. She was paralyzed and could only stand there, watching him watch his fingers trace along her dress, over and under the hem, over fabric and bare skin, to stop at the lowest point of the delicate beading, right in the center of her chest.  

She drew in a shaky breath and Colt looked up, looking into her eyes. Her mouth was suddenly dry and her lungs wouldn’t inflate. She had no idea what he saw there but he turned back to his fingers, sliding them up the dress, slowly, to her opposite shoulder and playing with the strap there. 

Ellie realized her legs were shaking. She couldn’t breathe.

Colt looked at her then, right into her eyes. “I just didn’t want him dancing with you.”

Ellie grabbed the sides of his face and pulled, throwing their lips together in a frenzy. Colt reciprocated in kind, sliding his hands down her back, pulling her to him with rough hands. His lips were hungry on hers and she groaned into his mouth as he gently bit her lower lip and then soothed it with his tongue. She had no idea how long they kissed but he was all she could feel, touch, taste; he was everything in that moment and nothing else,  _nothing_ , mattered. A hand slid down and somehow found the high slit in her dress, tracing her thigh and setting her absolutely aflame. She was on fire, a delicious burn throughout her stomach, lower, and nothing was strong enough to put her out.

“Ahem.” Ellie heard something but couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Nor did she care until, again, a louder “Ahem.”

She came up for air and saw a disapproving woman in a fur stole glaring at them. “The song is over.”

Ellie looked around. The song was indeed over and couples were edging around them, heading to the bar or to the appetizers. Her cheeks burned and she averted her eyes until the woman huffed and walked away.

Colt gently touched her waist. “I have to get back.” His hair was mussed, lips chapped and a blush on the tips of his ears.  _I did that_ , Ellie thought. He leaned down and kissed her, deeply, fingers lightly mapping the curves of her cheeks as if he was mapping her features, afraid they would disappear.

“Ok, now I really have to go.” He turned and made his way through the crowd, ducking quickly through the back hall. Ellie watched as long as she could, then turned and slid through the crowd. 

She could not afford to get distracted.

~~~~~

Ellie stumbled out of the cab and through the back door of the shop. She was exhausted and would have pulled off her heels, but she didn’t know what Toby had left on the floor of the shop. She yawned and made her way towards the stairs to the loft when a sudden movement made her freeze. She peered into the dark floor as a shape stood.

“Colt?” He had been sitting on the stairs to the loft and he looked as tired as she felt. "What are you doing up?”

“Where were you? It’s almost 5am.”

“I had to wait while they questioned every single person at the party. They took a special interest in me because Logan disappeared, so I was talking to the police forever.”

“What did you tell them?”

She smiled. “That he ditched me to go hook up with a cocktail waitress there. Played the whole jilted date card and everything.”

Colt chuckled quietly. “Good thinking. Do you think they suspected?”

“Not at all. Did everything go ok?”

“Like a charm. All three cars out and hidden around the city.” He rubbed the back of his head, looking at the floor. “Thanks for being there today.”

“Wait…were you waiting up for me?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “You were supposed to be back hours ago. And you didn’t have your phone. I didn’t know what to think.”

“You were worried.” Ellie smiled, secretly pleased.

Colt rolled his eyes. “Well, I need to make sure that the crew gets back….and now you’re back.” His smile softened and he nodded at her. “Good night, Ellie. Good job.”

He was almost past her before she moved and she was able to just barely grab onto his elbow. “Colt?”

“Yeah?”

She took a deep breath and bit her lip. “I just….I don’t want to sleep in Logan’s bed tonight.”

His eyes widened and he swallowed hard. He stopped for a beat, looking at her questioningly, but didn’t say anything. He just nodded and laced his fingers in hers, leading her down to his room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (N*FW) Ellie spends the night in Colt’s bed. For real this time.

Ellie pulled into the shop; it seemed so cliche, but her cheeks hurt from smiling. She had never been as exhilarated as when she crossed the finish line seconds before Salazar. Yes, she had lost a side view mirror and one of her bumpers was cracked, but that could all be repaired. However, nothing would replace the joy that she felt when she caught sight of his face behind the steering wheel. She hoped this feeling would never fade.

Colt sat next to her. His motorcycle was in a few pieces on the floor of the shop, so he rode shotgun with her all night and his delighted whoop as they crossed the finish line was burned him her brain. She wasn’t exactly sure where they stood but he had been her shadow all night, standing close and sneaking touches in ways that felt entirely too intimate for the public space. She saw Mona shooting her a knowing look at one point and she flushed, but she was so light and happy that she couldn’t bring herself to truly care.

He smirked at her. “You almost make me want to get back behind the wheel so I could take you on.”

“Ha. You don’t stand a chance.” She grinned back, a flush of heat running through her as their eyes met. She bit her lip and thought of the night after the Masquerade Ball. They had both been so exhausted that they had fallen into Colt’s bed, half asleep, but there was something sweet about being there, wrapped in his t-shirt with his arm securely around her waist. The morning was a bit less sweet, more spice, as Colt had woken her up with lingering kisses down her neck, pulling the back of the t-shirt down to kiss lower and lower, down her shoulders, marking her where no one would see.

Colt’s voice brought her back to the present. “Wanna make a bet on that?” He raised an eyebrow, leaning across the console.

She smiled, watching his eyes travel down her face as she got closer, and leaned into him, taunting, “I’m not scared. You have a habit of not collecting on those bets.” Finally, she crossed the final inches and their lips met. Ellie didn’t think he would ever get tired of this, his lips insistent on hers, fingers threading through her hair. She deepened the kiss, clutching the front of his jacket. His hands moved to her hips, sliding to her thighs before grasping and suddenly pulling her over the center console and onto his lap. She looked up in shock. “Smooth, Colt. Smooth.”

“I know,” he smirked and leaned back in, capturing her lips again. She settled into him, gripping his hair, while his hands settled on the sides of her skirt. His fingers traced unintelligible patterns over the hem and underneath, swirling touches that had had her arching against him. His lips moved to behind her ear and she couldn’t think, could only pant for breath as his lips traveled to her neck and lower still.

The car was suddenly bathed in light and Ellie could see Logan’s Devore GT pulling into the bay.

“Dammit,” Colt pulled away, kissing her lips one last time before he turned to place her back on the driver’s seat.

Ellie stopped him with a hand to his jaw, turning his face so she could stare into his eyes. “Later.” She looked at him meaningfully, watching his mouth drop open in understanding.

“Later?”

Ellie nodded decisively. “Later.” She slid back to her seat and pulled open the door without a backwards glance.

~~~~~

Ellie slowly sat up in bed and cautiously looked over at Logan. She had waited five minutes since he fell asleep to be sure; she probably should wait longer, but she absolutely couldn’t stand it. Her feet hit the cool floor and she paused; when Logan didn’t stir, she tiptoed, past the creaky floor boards, and walked the path to Colt’s basement room.

She paused at the door. She knew she wanted this, wanted him, but taking this step seemed, again, like falling into an abyss she didn’t know if she could escape from. She didn’t know if she wanted to escape from it.

She blinked as the door creaked open. Colt stood there, barefoot. He must have heard her creep down the hall. “Hey.” He stood back, studying her as she walked in, and closed the door behind her.

“Hi.” She was suddenly shy, staring at him. She had been so sure, thinking of him, caught up in the wanting, and now that he was standing in front of her, real and solid, she was unsteady. She knew what she wanted but she never thought, in this place, this mix between a den of thieves and family of orphans, this was where she could finally have sex. She couldn’t even think about it without feeling her cheeks redden.

Colt could obviously see her hesitation and he frowned, tilting his head at her, his eyes searching her face. “Listen, we can just go to sleep, ok. We don’t need to-”

Ellie took a deep breath and cut him off. She wanted this, more than she wanted freedom from her dad, more than she wanted to be valedictorian, more than anything. Quickly, she moved to him, she was standing so close she could feel his heat, smell his cologne. “Yeah, we don’t need to do anything.” She looked up and subconsciously wet her lips. “But I want to.”

She saw Colt blink and suddenly, his lips were on hers and she was done thinking. She gave as good as she got, folding into him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders as his hands grabbed her hips possessively. Their lips and tongues tangled and he slowly guided her backwards until her back hit his dresser. Their mouths never separating, he grabbed hold of her hips and slid her on top of the low surface, settling between her legs so she could wrap her calves around his waist. They were impossibly close and Ellie wanted him even closer, digging her nails into his back to urge him forward and fuse any distance between them.

Eagerly, she grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt and pulled up. Colt quickly obliged, pulling his shirt over his head and returning to her lips, kissing her breathless. She ran her hands over the planes of his chest, definition of his abs, and felt a familiar heat starting to build. She had just started to grind her hips, a small slow motion to get friction where she needed it, when Colt kissed a blazing path to her ear and spoke.

“You didn’t seem so sure a second ago…" 

Ellie sat, confused, as he breathed in, still next to her ear, small puffs of air that sent sparks through her stomach and made her bare her neck. He took the obvious invitation, lips running down to her neck, all suction and heat. She tried to catch her breath. "It’s just….” she stopped, struggling to put it into words. “I’ve never. I want it to be with you.”

Understanding dawned and he leaned back to look at her. “You’ve never had sex.”

She shrugged and looked away, blushing slightly. “You were my first kiss too, you know. I just….I trust you.” God, she did, though it was going be her unraveling. 

He looked at her, teeth worrying over his lower lip. “And you want to. With me.” She had seen Colt a lot of ways, happy, content, shocked, furious, but she had never seen him as vulnerable as he was now. 

She reached a hand out, pulling him close and kissing him, slowly, languidly. He relaxed into her arms, running his hands down her back, and pulled back to look at her, searching eyes boring into hers, eyebrow raised. “I’m tired of waiting for my life to begin. I want to live, not just watch other people live…..” she trailed off, sighing, a pang of regret. Finally, with all the confidence she could muster, she nodded. “Yes. I want to. With you.”

Colt smirked and kissed her, hard. “You don’t have to ask me twice.” She felt his fingers trail up her stomach and her shirt quickly followed and was thrown on the floor, somewhere. His hands went into her hair as his lips went down, down, a fiery path of lips and tongue and teeth. Her head lolled backwards as his mouth found a nipple. 

Ellie had never had anyone touch her like this. She would have been shy, half-naked in front of a boy, but the heat of his hands and the feel his mouth crowded everything out of her mind.

Well, except one thing. “Wait. Wait wait wait.”

He looked up at her, still at her chest, and she could feel his cheek, soft against her. 

“Have you?”

“Have I what?” The puff of his breath made goosebumps form and she shivered.

“Have you ever….you know…..” Ellie flushed and regretted speaking. She would rather not know and get on with it but, as her current situation would attest, she wasn’t great at curbing her impulses sometime.

Colt stood up to kiss her, deeply, sliding his hand under her thighs. He pulled back to look intently at her. “…Never with you.”

With that, he lifted her up; Ellie threw her arms around his neck so she wouldn’t fall and held on, giggling, as he turned and dropped her on the bed; his lips made his way down again, down down down in a delicious line as he paused at the edge of her pajama pants, tracing the line on her lower stomach with lips and teeth and tongue that made her stomach clench and her toes curl.

She was wound up, tight like a spring, until his voice finally pierced through the fog. “Ellie?”

“Yeah?” She was breathing hard, unable to get air into her lungs, and it was so hot in the room that the touches and heat and Colt’s voice calling her name was making her brain melt.

“Okay?”

She couldn’t answer, could only repeat his name like a prayer and, thankfully, he seemed to understand, pulling her pajamas and her underwear off inch by inch, over shaking legs, to toss them on the floor.

He bent down again, tracing invisible designs with his teeth and his tongue, up her calves and up her inner thigh and up up up. Ellie was glad she had no idea what was coming because, when his tongue reached his destination, she swore that she saw sparks.

“Fuck!” The sound was punched from her, deep from her lungs, as he slid two fingers inside of her, moving in counterpoint to his lips and his tongue. She never swore but, in this moment, she would curse any deity on earth to get more of this feeling. She was too keyed up to be anxious, too turned on to be embarrassed; all she could do was clutch the bed sheets, twisting them so hard she would have worried about ripping them had her mind not been completely taken up by Colt and his mouth and his hands and the delicious things he was doing to her.

Time stood still and stretched on forever. All she could do was close her eyes and hold on tight as the pleasure overtook her, causing sparks behind her eyes so bright she had trouble focusing again. When her eyes cleared, she could see Colt, leaning over her with that insufferable smirk on his face. Perhaps just this once, he had earned it.

“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.” Her mouth would not stop moving of its own accord, her brain so far offline it couldn’t keep up. Her legs were still shaking; she was trying to hook her foot around Colt to pull him to her, but her muscles would not cooperate. “Come here. Come here!”

He paused, looking at her, again flashing a sly grin at her. He pulled his pants and boxers off in one motion and slid on top of her, bending down for a deep kiss before rolling next to her, a long line of skin and flesh and muscle by her side.

“What are you doing? Come back!” She wanted him on top off her, his long warmth surrounding her, anchoring her into the bed.

Colt brushed a stray hair out of her eyes and smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. “You’re my driver, right?”

“Always,” Ellie breathed out, moving to kiss him again.

However, Colt ducked his head, putting a hand on each side of her hips and turning, spinning her so she slid on top of him.  She could feel every inch of him underneath her and sat up, a small gasp as she realized where their hips met. “Then drive,” he whispered, trailing feather light touches down her thighs.

Ellie bit her lip and slowly, slowly edged down, slow slow slow….stop. A gasp, a breath, breathe again.  _Guess I’m not a virgin anymore_. It didn’t hurt, thank God, but it was weird. Someone else was inside her, as close as close could be, no distance between where she ended and he began.

She glanced to Colt but his eyes were closed, head bent back, mouth open with shuddering breaths. Slowly, carefully, Ellie moved her legs, a slow up-and-down and Colt moaned, loudly. She grinned; it was easy to see how this power could go to her head. She moved again, faster.

“Ellie….” Colt managed to groan out her name, eyes still closed, taking a few more shaky breaths before continuing. “Ellie, you ok?”

“Yeah.” She was moving a little faster, watching the pleasure flash across his face. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked up, pupils blown wide, amazement clear on his face. She wanted to bend over to kiss him but didn’t know if her legs would hold her, especially as she just was starting to figure out how to move. 

Eyes still on her, hot trails mapping her body, he started moving his hips, slight changes in angle. She wasn’t really sure what he was doing until he moved just right and her eyes widened. “Oh God!”

He grinned, still breathless. “Right there?” All she could do was nod, staring at him as he started to move in tandem with her, small movements that hit just right. He licked his lips and brought his thumb to his mouth, wetting it with a quick flick of his tongue. She watched, breathless, as he brought his thumb to her clit. He was touching her everywhere, inside, outside, and she was trying to move with him but it was becoming too much, everything just building inside her.

She couldn’t think, couldn’t focus, as the movement, the pleasure, the intensity, the pressure, everything was just too intense. The room disappeared, everything disappeared except the feeling. She vaguely heard Colt moan, long and low, and her movements became difficult and jerky as she followed him down into the abyss and came again, unable to stop Colt’s name from falling from her lips.

She fell forward, unable to hold herself up anymore; thankfully, Colt was there to catch her as her arms weren’t working. Up close, Colt’s eyes were dark, deeper than she had ever seen, framed by his delicate eyelashes, and he was still biting his lower lip. She couldn’t help but press her lips to his, light, smiling when his lips chased hers as she moved her head. An arm slid down her back, gentle, and she realized they both were covered in sweat.

“You ok, El?”

She dropped her head to his shoulder, suddenly exhausted. “Yeah. I’m good.”

“I was hoping for a little better than good.” 

“Well, I think I have a cramp in my toes.”

Colt laughed and kissed her forehead, then nudging her with his chin. “Come on, let’s clean up.” He was watching her, eyes soft, actually relaxed for once. She never wanted it to end.

“But I’m so comfortable…”

“You will be more comfortable after a shower. Come on.” He slid out from under her, rolling off the bed and standing next to her, lacing their fingers together, kissing her hand. “Come on….”

“Wait, are we taking this shower together?” Ellie rolled over, eyes dropping down his from his face to his chest, lower. She wouldn’t mind if he never wore clothes again.

He caught her eye and winked at her, turning to head to the bathroom. Ellie’s mouth dropped open and she managed to follow him, legs still trembling.

~~~~~

It was bliss to fall back into bed and cuddle up, warm and clean. Ellie felt loose, like she imagined a good massage would feel like, and she didn’t know if or when she had ever felt this happy. Her head hit the pillow and she could feel Colt’s arm snake around her, a warm weight on her stomach. She linked their fingers together and smiled.

Outside, she could hear a few cars speed by, the normal assortment of late-night noise. Drifting above the din, a car slowly drove by the street, with some old rock song spilling into the night. 

_All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade away_   _again_

Cocooned in Colt’s warmth and drifting off, Ellie barely heard the noise as she drifted off to a dreamless sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything falls apart.

Ellie tried to focus on the bolt in front of her but it was impossible. She had already made two mistakes on the car and really didn’t want a third, but her brain was fuzzy. Toby was standing close by; he already had to save her when a pair of wires started smoking because she connected them incorrectly. He obviously didn’t want to take any chances, which was smart, but Ellie’s could not, would not focus. She desperately wanted to look away from the bolt, to peek, just one peek, but absolutely should not do it. This was the hardest test she had ever taken.

Two turns of the wrench left and, crap, she peeked. Colt was sitting on the floor next to his motorcycle, working on putting the parts together again, brow furrowed in concentration. Almost like he had the same problem, he glanced her way at the same time. She felt her cheeks redden and he winked at her, lips curving into a smirk. Her heart started beating faster and she could not wait for this evening to be over, for Logan to fall asleep, for her to sneak downstairs under the cover of darkness.

She didn’t really understand it, when Riya and Darius started dating. Darius was all Riya could talk about or even think about; she had spent hours listening to every detail about their dates or his hair or their kisses. She attributed it to infatuation or hormones but oh, now she knew. She now knew that attraction and desire could be all encompassing and intoxicating and, even worse, she never wanted it to stop.

She managed to peel her eyes away from Colt and drop back down to the wrench. She could do this.

As she was settling back in to attack the bolt, there were three sharp knocks at the back door and it swung open. She heard a sharp intake of breath next to her and Toby dropped the screwdriver he had been holding, sound echoing around the now silent garage. She turned to the door and her heart dropped in her throat. Two LAPD uniforms were sauntering through the garage, leisurely looking around. She didn’t recognize them but stayed down, partially hidden behind the car; she knew that it was a bad sign that they walked right in.

Everyone else in the room seemed to be in shock. Colt stood up from his bike as Kaneko walked out from the office. They exchanged a tense look and Kaneko spoke first, calmly. “Hello, officers. Can we help you?”

The male officer nodded; big and burly, she could see the envelope in his hands. “Kaneko?”

Kaneko nodded. “That would be me.” He did not seem surprised by the sudden intrusion and continued calmly hobbling forward.

The officers shared a puzzled look, the female officer taking the envelope to squint at it. “Ah, no…..Colt Kaneko?” Ellie felt her heart drop and had to steady herself on the tire so she wouldn’t fall over. She felt Toby’s hand land on her arm, steadying her. They shared a terrified glance and she turned to Colt. His eyes were hard and she could see his jaw clench.

“Yeah?”

The officer nodded. “We’re going to need you to come with us.”

Colt raised his eyebrows. “Do you have a warrant?”

The officer handed over the envelope and Colt opened it, skimming the papers inside. Frowning, he put the papers back. “Can we do this outside?”

“Colt…” Kaneko widened his eyes.

Colt turned back. “It’s fine, Pop. It will be fine.” Ellie thought that she saw Colt’s eyes flicker to her but it was only a millisecond and then he and the officers were walking out the door.

The silence lasted for thirty seconds before Toby let out a loud “FUUUUUCK.” Everyone looked uneasily at each other.

Finally, Ximena spoke. “Boss? What do we do now?”

~~~~~

Apparently, the answer to that was clean. Kaneko had them cleaning the shop for hours and anything of…questionable legality was moved or destroyed. Ellie was physically and mentally exhausted; she could feel the blisters on her fingers and Logan’s bed, usually so comfortable, wasn’t soothing her sore muscles. However, she could not sleep. She knew, had known all along, that this was one of the hazards of this life. Not only did you need to avoid murderous gangs, but you also lived under constant threat of arrest. 

She got out of bed silently, making sure Logan was still breathing deeply, and walked the familiar steps to the shop floor. There, she wandered aimlessly. She knew in her head that Kaneko was right. He had to convince her that it was an awful idea to try to see Colt in jail. Rationally, she knew that it would be a mistake; she was just having a hard time convincing the rest of her to sit and wait.

Silent tears rolled down her face as she passed by Colt’s motorcycle, wiping her face as she remember Colt, eyes cold, walking away. 

Could she really do this? Now Colt and her dad were on opposite sides, completely opposite sides here, and she couldn’t possibly choose between them. She had this fantasy that everything would work out, maybe Colt would go straight, maybe the police really wouldn’t care about the crew but, after today…

Maybe she was not only mourning Colt’s arrest but also the hope that she could thread the needle between her two lives and come out between them unscathed.

As she continued on her third lap of the floor, Kaneko walked out of his office. “Ellie.” 

She turned to him, eyes wide. She hadn’t known he was there but it made sense that he couldn’t sleep either. She wondered if he had prepared for this day, if he had prepared for the possibility of seeing his son led away in handcuffs. She wondered if he blamed himself for this, if he would send Colt away again.

She looked at him, silent, for so long that Kaneko sighed. “Come in.” He gestured back into the office and turned, slowly padding back through the door. Ellie followed, heart in her throat.

“Sit.” Kaneko had turned to some papers in front of him, jotting notes and numbers that she couldn’t read. “Trouble sleeping?”

She nodded, focused on the bags under his eyes. “You too?”

Kaneko looked at her, sharply. “He knew the risks.”

“Yeah….” Ellie trailed off, looking out the side window. The world was dark, the quiet weighing on her.

“He knew the risks and he knows what to do.” Kaneko caught her eyes. “You can’t do anything stupid. You can’t help him now.”

Ellie sighed. She really wasn’t planning on doing anything, she just… “I just feel so powerless.” Tears started to form, the tightness in her eyes a familiar ache now.

Kaneko dropped his pen on the deck and studied her. For a while. She felt herself wilting under his gaze and sat on her hands so she wouldn’t fidget. Finally, he nodded. “Come to my office. 6pm. Tomorrow. Exactly on time.”

She raised her eyebrows but didn’t question him; she felt like she was being dismissed from the principal’s office. Finally she nodded and turned to go. 

“Don’t be late.” He called after her, turning back to his work.

~~~~~

At exactly 5:59pm, Ellie stood outside Kaneko’s door and knocked. He quickly opened it and ushered her inside, closing it firmly behind her. Without a word, he turned back to his papers. Ellie hovered for a second, unsure of the protocol, then sat down across from him. A clock in the corner ticked. One minute went by. Two. Three. Finally, Kaneko broke his silence. “One more minute.”

Ellie watched, amazed, as, true to his word, sixty seconds went by and then his telephone rang.

“Hello.” Kaneko put his pen down and cradled the phone in his ear. She couldn’t hear who he was talking to.

“Any new information for me?” He nodded, frowning. The wrinkles on his forehead looked more pronounced. Maybe it was just the lighting in the office…but maybe Colt’s absence was hitting him as hard as it was her.

“There is someone here who wants to talk to you.” Kaneko turned to her and handed over the phone, going back to the paperwork.

Ellie took the receiver gingerly. “Hello?”

“Ellie?!?” Colt’s voice hit her like a wave of cold water and she felt tears spring to her eyes.

“Colt, are you ok? Oh my God, Colt.”

She could hear his sharp intake of breath, a slow exhale. “Ellie, I can’t really talk where I am.” It sounded slightly muffled, like he was covering his mouth. “I’m fine. How are you?”

“How do you think I am? What are they charging you with? Do you have bail? What’s going on?”

He sighed, slow to answer. “Ellie, it’s fine….don’t worry. I should be back in a couple days, ok?”

“Colt….” the tears had started to spill out of her eyes and onto her cheeks. She thought of how lucky she had been, when he was here, to be able to touch him, secret stolen moments that she thought would never end. Now, she ached to even see him.

“Ellie, I’m ok, I swear, but I can’t talk where I am. I only have a minute left, will you look out for my dad for me?”

“Of course…” 

“Ellie…” the phone was muffled again and he was whispering, hard to make out over the line, more breath than speech. “Ellie, I miss you.”

“Colt…..” The tears were falling fully now, she couldn’t stop them if she tried.

~~~~~

Colt laid, uncomfortably, on the thin mattress. His conversation with Ellie had thrown him and he couldn’t really afford not to be on his game. His dad had mentioned this possibility and he knew the general plan if something like this ever happened, but thinking about it and living it were two different things. It was hard not knowing what was happening at the shop, if Pop was staying safe, if Ellie was ok. He wondered if this was the straw that broke the camel’s back and whether she would even be there when he got out.

Colt sat up as keys came down the hall again. He could not afford to get distracted. “Kaneko?” He stood. He had been expecting this since he got here. His dad’s lawyer said that they could only keep him for three days without officially filing charges, but to expect multiple conversations, interrogations into his dad, the shop. Might as well get this over with. He would never give up his father, regardless of the offer on the table.

He was walked down the hall and into the interrogation room. After a wait, a long wait, an interminable wait designed to make him reconsider all his life choices, finally, the door opened.

Two detectives walked in, one clutching a folder overflowing papers and a couple of glasses of water. “Colt? I’m Detective Shaw and this is Detective Foley. Sorry about the wait.”

Colt nodded. So this was the Good Cop. “No worries.”

Good Cop sat down, pulling a picture from the folder. “Hopefully we can get this cleared up really quickly. We just need some help from you and then you can go on your way.” Colt raised his eyebrows and waited. “Do you know what this is?”

Colt looked at the car. “A Maranello.” Of course he knew what that car was. He had stolen it from the owner of the LA Badgers and Mona had driven it to a storage container off an East LA highway. “My Pop owns a garage.”

Good Cop nodded. “It was actually stolen last weekend.” Colt looked at him. Waited. Waited more. “We think you know something about it.” Waited. The only sound was the clock in the corner, dulling clicking away the seconds of Colt’s life. “Can you tell us about it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Good Cop frowned. “Colt, you seem like a good kid. Made it into a good university. But your dad doesn’t exactly have your best interests in mind.”

“What does Pop have to do with this?” Colt sat as still as he could.

Bad Cop moved away from the wall, bending down in Colt’s face, arms huge on the table. “You know what your father has to do with this and you were in on it, kid. We’ve got you.”

Colt sighed, already bored. This looked so much more exciting on  _Law & Order_. He tilted his head so he could look up at Bad Cop. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Bad Cop started and pushed a chair over, the clatter loud in the small room. “Stop the bullshit, kid.”

“Foley, enough.” Good Cop put his hands up, placating him. “Colt, you have to know that your dad doesn’t exactly run his business on the up and up. Three cars were stolen from a charity event. We have witnesses who place you there.”

“I’m not big on charity,” Colt shrugged and slouched down in his chair.

Bad Cop pushed the table, aggressive. “You and your friends lifted the cars because your dad doesn’t care about you or your future or if you end up a pathetic punk ass like him.“

“Ok, this is ridiculous.” Colt sat back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. “I’m done here.”

“You’re done when we say you’re done.” Bad Cop banged on the table, spilling the water cups, and Colt felt his heart stop. 

_Drip._

The water, sliding across the table, had started to drip on the floor, echoing in the silent room. 

_Drip._  

The anger came suddenly. Colt was no stranger to anger, to a fury that built in his blood and churned in his veins and grew and grew until his fists moved of their own accord. He knew anger but this,  _this_ ….he had to take a breath, deeply, in through his nose. He couldn’t see the table, the detectives, he could see nothing but the red behind his eyes.

He knew that voice. He knew that fucking voice. 

_Drip._

Colt knew he had to keep his cool. He knew he couldn’t ball his hands into fists and come up swinging until the anger had morphed into bruised knuckles. He knew he couldn’t stand and bash the detective, the dirty dirty cop, couldn’t pummel his face in until the anger in his blood had cooled.

_Drip._

He bit his tongue, tasting the blood pooling in his mouth.  He needed to keep his temper in check. He bit down harder. More blood. Metallic in his mouth. 

That’s the fucker who hurt his dad. That motherfucking-

_Drip._

He took a breath, then another. Swallowed the blood. Breathe in. Out. 

_Drip._

_Drip._  

Slowly, he turned to face the cop, dead in the eyes. He looked at the detective, Foley, was it? He looked at his features, memorizing his eyes, nose, cheek, mouth. Stared him down. The roaring in his ears was starting to subside.

Finally, he smirked. “What’d you say?”

Colt couldn’t say what happened in the rest of the interrogation. The beginnings of a plan to hit The Brotherhood where it hurt were starting to form in his mind. And, in jail, he didn’t have much to do, other than think.

~~~~~

“That’s me.” He signed the property retrieval form and grabbed his things, quickly looking through his wallet to make sure he had some cash. Phone was dead, but that was probably a blessing. For the seventh time in the last hour, he played through his moves in his head as he walked through the precinct, dodging multiple uniforms in the busy entryway, trying to get out of this godforsaken place. However, at the door, steps from freedom, he paused; he could tell that eyes were on him. Eyes darting through the lobby, he caught sight of a small room, surrounded by glass, probably used for questioning suspects or delivering bad news. An older man stood standing, staring straight at him, glaring, face filled the typical hatred he had come to expect from cops. Colt paused, taking in the badge around his neck, arms folded across his chest. Maybe it was the lead detective on his case?  

After a quick double-take and a caustic salute, he stepped out the front door and blinked as he stepped into the sunlight, reorienting himself to the city. 

Time to move. He ducked into a convenience store for a water to break his hundred and then hopped the bus, seven stops. Ducked into a door that looked like it was made solely of graffiti and ducked out with a burner. Bus again, more stops, out of the city. He stared out the window and wondered how far his thirst for vengeance would take him. Based on the boil in his blood, pretty damn far.

Once he got to the beach, it was deserted. Quiet cliff, no one for miles. Perfect. He pulled out the burner and dialed a number he knew by heart.

“Hello.”

He waited, listening to his dad’s footsteps walk through the shop, waited until he heard the door shut behind him.

“You missed our call yesterday.” His father chided him, but it was without heat.

“I had some thinking to do. We have 20 minutes on this phone.” His father listened, actually listened, as Colt went through what he knew and the plan he had come up with. 

Once he finished, he heard his father sigh. “I’m not sure…”

“Do you have a better plan?”

Pop paused. “No. But how do you know who you can trust?”

Colt bit his lip. “…I have an idea.”

~~~~~

It took another bus ride, waiting for a connection, jumping on a new route, Jesus forever, and, finally, a short walk before he was in front of a squat house in a fairly nice neighborhood, a world away from Gramercy Park. He stopped to look around. A quiet road, well-maintained houses. He didn’t know what he expected.

Hands in his pockets, he made his way up to the door and knocked. Mere seconds later, he heard quick footsteps hurrying over; the door opened and he found himself looking into a familiar pair of very suspicious eyes. The two considered each other for a minute until, finally, Colt spoke, “I need help.”

The door opened wider and Colt stepped inside.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colt has a plan to hit the Brotherhood, but at what cost?

Ellie looked up from the door of the storage unit at the pair of figures heading towards them. “Wait, what is Mona doing here? And Ximena?”  

Logan looked up from the lock he was struggling with. “I don’t know….” 

Kaneko had them moving the cars all over the city, convinced that the cops were going to find the three cars. She felt like they had been walking and driving for hours; her feet hurt and the sweat had her hair sticking to her forehead. She just wanted to take a shower, but Kaneko kept calling.

Ximena gave a wave as she got closer. “Hi! What are you doing here?”

“We are moving the Maranello. Kaneko’s orders.”

Mona froze and, annoyed, huffed a stray stand of hair off her face. “Wait, what? We just put the Maranello in the unit by the ocean an hour ago.” 

“We just got the Maranello out of that unit to go here.” Logan looked confused.

Ximena scrunched her nose. “Sweetie, we just got the GT to put in this unit.”

“But….we just put the GT  in the unit off the highway.” Ellie looked around at the crew. “Maybe Kaneko is confused.”

“I don’t like this.” Mona furrowed her eyebrows.

Suddenly, Toby came up the path, whistling, spinning a pair of keys in outstretched fingers. “Hey guys! I’m here to drop the Stuttgart off.”

“What?  ….But….” Ellie was trying, and failing, to keep up. “Why would you drop that car off, we already-”

Logan cut her off. “Kaneko is trying to keep us away from the garage.” Logan grabbed the keys out of Toby’s hands. “We need to go back. Now. Mona, Ximena, take the GT back. Toby, with us.” He took off down the path, back towards the street.

“What?” Ellie followed, struggling to keep up. “Why would he want us out of the garage?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t like it,” Logan led the crew past the gate and hopped into the driver’s seat of the Stuttgart, Ellie sliding in the passenger seat.

Toby folded his legs into the back seat, a tight fit in the small car. “If he wants us out, maybe we should stay out.” 

“With everything going on? Not a chance.” Logan turned the key and barely waited for the back door to close before he gunned it.

~~~~~

As soon as Logan slid the key from the ignition, he slammed open the door and was out of the car like a shot. It was empty on the floor, so quiet that Ellie thought the shop was empty. Logan’s stomping footsteps echoed on the concrete as he made a beeline for the office but, before he could get there, Kaneko emerged, shutting the door tightly behind him.

“Did you finish? Are the cars away?” Kaneko half-heartedly looked at Logan; Ellie had never seen him so distracted. Usually he was calm, placidly moving through life whether he was directing multi-million dollar robberies or telling Salazar to ruin his own car. Now, he looked nervous, fingers drumming a rhythm against his good leg.

“Boss?” Logan paused, obviously noticing it too. “What’s going on?”

“What’s going on is that I asked you to do a job and no one has confirmed that it is done.” Ellie stopped next to Logan and looked between them both; Kaneko’s harsh voice echoed around the floor but he didn’t look angry. He looked…concerned?

Before Ellie could put her finger on it, she heard footsteps coming up from the basement and, for a moment, it was like the rest of the crew disappeared as Colt emerged from the stairs to his room.

He looked as surprised to see her as she was to see him, stopping to stare back as she drank him in. It had been less than a week but she felt like she was looking at him for the first time, taking in the jacket, the eyes, the hair, all familiar but new.

She stepped forward. “Colt?”

Colt just stared at her and swallowed, hard. He looked trapped and his eyes cut to his dad. She took another step forward and, to her shock, he took a step backwards, away from her and the crew, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels.

“Colt?” 

Colt looked past her, past the crew, face expressionless. She was about to speak again when he looked at her; she tried to see a glimpse of something, softness, recognition, anything, but it was like looking at a new person, a harder, tougher version of Colt. “I need to work on my bike.”

Ellie stared in shock as he walked by the crew, not making eye contact with anyone, and settled down next to his bike. Logan caught her eye and shrugged.

She stood, awkwardly, until Toby whistled in the background. “Okay…..”

Finally, this seemed to get a reaction out of Kaneko. “Do I pay you all to stand around? Get to work.”

With one last look, Ximena and Toby wandered away, back to the junker they were pulling part from while Kaneko walked over to his Aylesbury. Mona lingered, looking suspicious, but finally headed to the break room so only Ellie and Logan stood there. “This is weird,” he whispered.

“Maybe jail was worse than Kaneko thought it would be?”

Logan shrugged and Ellie’s eyes cut to Colt. He was on the ground, tooling with a screwdriver underneath the chassis. She nodded, resolutely. “I’m going to talk to him.”

Logan shrugged and glanced over to Colt. “Couldn’t hurt,” he muttered, rubbing her shoulder. “Good luck.”

She shot him a half-smile and headed over. Colt obviously heard her coming and tensed, but kept working on the bike. “Hey, Colt.”

He didn’t even look up. “Hi. What’s up?”

Ellie paused. “Are you ok?”

“Fine.”

Ellie waited for more but it wasn’t forthcoming. “What the hell happened to you?”

There was a clatter as the screwdriver fell to the ground and, finally, he turned to her, eyes cold. “I’m trying to fix my bike, Ellie.” He turned, grabbing a wrench off the ground, and got to work as Ellie stood there, mouth gaping.

She was frozen, staring at his back, in shock at her unceremonious dismissal. What the hell? She wanted to call him out, but it didn’t seem like the time and, honestly, she was so confused by the change in demeanor that she didn’t know what to think.

She didn’t have long to stand there, considering her next move, as the bay door opened as a car pulled in. Ellie’s heart dropped as she saw a very familiar car roll into the shop, watching in shock as he father slid out of the driver’s side. He looked worn, tired, slightly more rumpled than usual, but it was her dad, in the flesh, right in front of her. She didn’t realize how much she had missed him, really truly missed him, until that moment. Her heart ached for him. “Dad?”

Even across the room, he heard her and caught her eye. He paused, taking her in with a sharp inhale; she saw his eyes flit over her face, her new tattoo. The stared at each other, eyes speaking volumes, for a moment until he seemed to remember why he was here. He gave her a sharp shake of the head as he walked further into the garage. “Not now, Ellie.” His tone turned businesslike, cold. “Colt Kaneko? We need to talk to you. Now.”

Ellie heard a clatter, loud behind her, and Colt stood up, chucking a wrench on the ground. “What the hell, man? Seriously?”

Her dad shook his head. “Let’s go. We have some more questions for you.”

“Fuck you, I’m not going anywhere.” Colt’s eyes flitted to the detective getting out of the passenger seat and he flipped him off. “Fuck, this asshole again? Fuck you!”

Ellie had never seen this new cop before; she assumed he was her dad’s new partner. He laughed, darkly. “You thought we had fun last time, kid? You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Colt swore again and Ellie couldn’t take her eyes off him as he stomped towards the cruiser. He was absolutely furious, coiled tight, the tension in his muscles visible beneath his jacket. 

Her dad stepped closer to him, reaching out. “Come on, kid, let’s go.” 

“Fuck you, I already wasted three days of my life….” Her dad reached out again, arm on Colt’s forearm, but Colt shook him off, turning away, snarling. “I said fuck you.”

Her dad stepped closer again, in Colt’s space, and it was like Ellie saw it happening in slow motion. Her dad reaching out, Colt spinning, fist flying, connecting with her dad’s jaw, the flailing as her dad hit the ground. Someone was screaming and Ellie realized it was her.

She ran, sprinting to her dad’s side. The other cop beat her there and threw Colt to the ground. They were wrestling each other, swearing, the cop trying to force cuffs on Colt’s wrists, but all she could see was her dad on the ground, clutching his face.

She dropped to her knees. “Dad? Dad! Are you ok?”

He sat up, gingerly, clutching his jaw, brushing her off; she could see the red mark, bright and obvious on his jaw, where Colt’s fist had landed. It looked like it would bruise. He looked over at Colt and his partner, watching the tussle. The cop was dragging Colt up by the handcuffs around his wrists, pulling him over to the cop car.

Her dad stood, shaky, and Ellie scrambled up after him, holding onto his arm. “Dad…”

“Not NOW Ellie.” Her dad was pissed and the clipped words stung. “Get him the hell out of here. Now. I don’t even wanna be in the same car with him. Take him to the precinct.”

“You sure?” The other cop pushed Colt against the cop car while Colt glowered at him, struggling against his handcuffs.

“I can catch a ride back from patrol.” Ellie watched her dad rub his jaw and her heart broke. She couldn’t believe how far everything had gone. She couldn’t believe that the boy she…. The boy she thought she loved, the boy who… In the battle between two of the most important people in her life, she could see in stunning clarity her choice.

Balling her hands into fists, she stormed over to Colt, who was leaning against her dad’s car petulantly. She stopped in front of him and watched him still, looking at her warily. She was sure that she couldn’t keep the anger off her face.

“MY DAD?!? My DAD, Colt?!?! REALLY?!?!” She was completely losing her composure; she couldn’t stop screaming. “You fucking hit my dad?!?!”

Colt pulled back, straightening up against the car, mouth open in shock. “Ellie….”

“You asshole, you HIT MY DAD.” Her hand came out before she could think, a sharp satisfying movement, all instinct. She didn’t even realize she slapped Colt until she heard the sickening sound of her hand land on his cheek, felt the impact through her arm. She was shaking, an anger she had never felt before rearing its head. Colt looked at her, tonguing the side of his mouth where blood had started to slide down his lip.

“Ellie….” He sounded broken.

She didn’t care.

“You really are just a hothead fucking criminal, aren’t you? Fuck you.” She came at him again and was gratified to see him flinch. She stopped, putting her hand down without making contact. “MY DAD?!?!”

She could vaguely hear her dad calling her name behind her but she was consumed by her fury. She stepped closer to Colt, hissing, “I regret everything.  _Everything_. Everything we ever did, everything….. Go fuck yourself.”

He met her eyes and pushed himself off the car, awkwardly, as if to reach for her . “Ellie….” He stopped, mouth forming words that wouldn’t come. 

“Get him out of here.” Her dad had come up behind her and was talking, harsh, clipped, pissed off to the other detective.

Colt glanced at her dad and his face darkened. He looked like he was about to spout off again but the her dad’s partner grabbed his arm, stepping between them, and opening the car door. Colt struggled halfheartedly and then went limp, letting himself be dragged around, thrown in the backseat.

She watched him, watched him sit and turn to look at her. She saw his eyes narrow, the car start, and then he was gone.

Her hand were in fists, tears pricking her eyes, as Ximena walked over. “Sweetie….sweetie….” Before she knew it, she was wrapped in Ximena’s comforting hug, surrounded by her strong arms. 

Ellie was trying to stop crying, sniffling to try to stop the faucet leaking off of her face, but it wasn’t working.  She wasn’t sure how long she stayed there, cocooned in Ximena, but she turned as Kaneko spoke. “Do you need ice?”

Her dad was still staring out the bay of the shop, lost in thought. He turned back to Kaneko and look tired. Ellie felt tired too. “No,” he shook his head, rubbing his jaw. “I’m fine.”

Her dad and Kaneko looked at each other, watching, for so long Ellie almost intervened when finally, her dad nodded and they both started walking into Kaneko’s office. Ellie caught Logan’s eye. He looked as confused as she felt.

That confusion turned to complete bewilderment minutes later as her dad left the office, clutching his vest and a tablet. “They took a left on Manchester. The kid was right.”

Kaneko hobbled behind him, unable to keep up with her dad’s strides. “Can I come with you?”

“Sorry. No way. But I will let you know as soon as I know something, ok?” Her dad shook his head, buckling the last few straps of the vest.

Kaneko nodded and watched her dad rush out of the bay. He waited mere seconds before heading to the Alyesbury.

“Boss?” Logan stepped forward, sharing a look with Ellie. “Boss, what is going on?”

“I’ll be back.” Kaneko slid into the driver’s seat. Ellie exchanged glances with the entire crew. Everyone looked as baffled as she felt and , without a word, the entire crew converged on Kaneko’s car in unison. She pulled open the passenger door and slid in with Logan, while Toby, Mona, and Ximena shoved into the back seat.

“Get out of my-”

Logan slammed the door behind him, cutting Kaneko off. “Just drive.”

~~~~~

Ellie shifted to try and give Logan more space as they made their way through the street. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ximena trying and failing to fit comfortably in the backseat, but no one said anything, air heavy in the car.

“Boss? Where are we going?” Logan shifted and wrapped an arm around Ellie’s shoulder. She was glad for the support; her fury had been replaced by complete confusion and she felt unmoored.

Kaneko said nothing as he drove, slowly. Ellie watched the out the window, not really seeing anything, when she realized they were taking a left on La Brea. “I know where we’re going….” she breathed out. 

Logan nudged her and she looked up at his confused face. She hadn’t even realized she had spoken. 

“Inglewood….we’re going to the factory, aren’t we?”

Kaneko tightened this grip on the steering wheel and said nothing.

Ellie looked at him. “Kaneko, what’s going on?”

His mouth was a grim line, pale in the darkness. “You will all stay in the car. Only I will get out.”

“Boss, are you insane?” Logan glared. “We’re a part of all this now and-”

“YOU WILL STAY IN THE CAR.” Ellie had rarely heard Kaneko raise his voice; she could see how he commanded respect in this world.

The rest of the ride was in complete silence.

~~~~~

Her dad’s patrol car was here, parked outside, another cruiser next to it. Kaneko pulled in slowly and turned off the engine. He stopped, gathering his thoughts, before turning to the crew. “It is imperative that you stay here. I won’t have you endangering my son.”

Ellie shook her head. “No, if my dad is here…”

He shook his head, violently. “Stay in the car.” He pulled open the door swinging his legs out, but grimaced as soon as they hit the gravel. Ellie shot a concerned glance to Logan and turned back to see Kaneko stumble slightly as he stood, clutching the car door. 

“Boss, your leg.” Logan opened the door and hopped out, walking towards Kaneko. “You ok?”

Ellie saw her chance and slid over, quickly, placing her feet on the ground as quietly as she could. With one last glance back, she pushed off the seat and was off.

“Oh shit.” Mona’s words, a mix of amusement and awe, echoes as she sprinted to the factory and puled open the door.

The sun was setting, the glare and the shadows making it harder to see when she darted inside. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust then slowly, quietly, she made her way past machines, through fumes of gas and shards of broken glass, deeper into the building. She was peering down a hallway, trying to see if she could hear anything, when a hand on her arm made her gasp.

She whirled, fist raised, and Logan put his hands up. “Whoa….whoa whoa whoa, just me.”

“Jesus, Logan.” Her heart was pounding, heavy in her chest. “You scared me.”

“Sorry, sorry.” He shot her a lopsided smile. “Kaneko was not pleased about the stunt you pulled, so he wanted me to come get you.”

“What?” Ellie crossed her arms. “Seriously?”

Logan chuckled quietly. “Well, that’s what he wanted. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna do it. Don’t you want to find your dad?” Ellie gaped at him before she slowly smiled.

“Let’s go.” With that, he followed her, down dingy hallways, dark rooms until finally, the path opened up and they were on the factory floor. Old machines, rusted and in pieces, were scattered in a giant room. The smell of gas was stronger here and oil had spilled on the ground, looking like it had seeped out of machines eons ago. They walked through rows of machinery, dim light filtering through high windows, until finally the room opened up and they could see.

With a gasp, Logan grabbed her arm and pulled her behind a behemoth of metal, a giant contraption dusty with time and disrepair. He pointed out, deeper into the factory with a shaky hand, and Ellie felt her stomach drop as her eyes followed its path.

In the middle of the factory floor, two figures stood. Ellie had to squint for a minute before she realized she was looking at Colt and her dad’s partner. It looked like they were talking and the cop looked none too pleased at the conversation. She could tell by the tilt of his shoulders that Colt was pissed but holding himself back. His handcuffs were off and he was gesturing, all choppy movements and barely restrained fury.

She couldn’t hear what they were saying and peered around the machinery, looking for a path to move forward. Logan crouched behind her, close, looking intently out into the dark.

“We should get closer,” Ellie whispered. “I want to hear what they’re saying.”

Logan’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure that’s a great idea. Besides, look….”

He gestured through the dark and, once Ellie saw it, her heart dropped. Her dad was crouching though the darkness, bullet-proof vest on, gun out. He was headed towards Colt cautiously. “Why does he have his gun out? Colt’s not armed.”

She and Logan looked at each other for a beat. Her eyes widened and Logan’s mouth dropped. “The other cop is armed.”

Ellie turned and it seemed like everything happened in an instant. The detective pulled a gun and Colt stepped back. Her dad emerged from the darkness, moving fast, but was it fast enough? Gun shots. One? Two? How many? What happened, other than her heart stopping, throat closing, Logan gasping, a yell.

She blinked and stood, blinking again. The air smelled of smoke, overpowering the gasoline fumes. It was making Ellie dizzy.

She blinked, looked, and screamed.

Her dad was cuffing the other detective, grappling on the ground. It looked like her dad had aimed true, as the detective was bleeding from a leg wound, the bullet tearing a hole through this uniform pants.

But Colt. Colt was on the ground.

She screamed again and ran, sprinted and fell to the ground next to him, landing hard on the concrete floor. Her dad was trying to read Miranda rights in the background but she couldn’t hear, couldn’t think, could only see Colt clutching his arm, face a grimace of pain. There was blood, a lot of blood, and it was still coming, pooling through his fingers to flow onto the factory floor.

“You have the right to remain silent.” Her dad was behind her but she couldn’t think, could only watch the blood pooling and flowing. How much blood could one person lose?

Logan crouched down next to Colt and, thankfully, wasn’t as frozen as Ellie. He ripped off his jacket, ripping and tearing until a sleeve came off. “Move,” he pushed Colt’s arm up, straight into the air, wrapping it up, trying to stop the bleeding.

“Fuck.” Colt was pale, eyes glazed over. Ellie grabbed his hand, slick with blood, and held on, tight, but he didn’t react, didn’t register the movement.

“Shots fired. Victim down. Officer down. We need two buses, stat.”

“Colt?”

Logan grimaced. “I think it hit an artery.”

Colt finally turned, eyes out of focus, face pale, looking over her shoulder. ”I’m sorry….I’m sorry about your jaw.”

Ellie looked up to watch her dad shake his head, tears in his eyes, swallowing hard. “You did good, kid. You did good.”

Colt’s eyes met hers then, hazy and unfocused. He smiled, squeezing her hand, his eyes never leaving hers until his lashes fluttered and then stilled as his eyes closed and Ellie screamed.

~~~~~~

“I’m going with him.” She was numb. She watched the paramedics load the stretcher into the ambulance, red lights flashing patterns against the wall. They had come quickly, sirens screaming into the night, but she didn’t know if it would be quick enough. The pallor on her dad’s face told her that he wasn’t sure either.

“Are you related?” The paramedic stared at her, harsh. She wondered how many gun shots she had seen, how many friends and family members she had to deal with on rides just like this one.

“No but-” 

“I’m his father. I’m going. She’s coming.” Kaneko climbed in the back, following the stretcher, leg limping behind him as he settled in.

The paramedic rolled her eyes, but acquiesced with a nod of her head.

She went to follow, but her day stopped her with a hand on her wrist, looking at her. “I need to go with Foley. See you at the hospital?” She nodded and, before she knew what was happening, he wrapped her in a hug. “See you soon, pumpkin.”

With that, he kissed her on the forehead and she nodded, climbing up, into the back of the ambulance, settling on top of a first aid kit, a makeshift seat in the crowded vehicle. The paramedic shut the door and, minutes later, siren again blazing, they were off.

She leaned forward, looking at Colt, careful not to get in the way of the paramedic currently working on him. He hadn’t awoken and his skin hadn’t regained any color, dark circles under his eyes adding to the surreal scene in front of her. He looked dead. She was so used to action and reaction from Colt, whether it was a smirk or a glare or a smart comment, generally something self-assured, something cocky, something that make her heart melt; to see him like this, still and immobile, she had to focus on not vomiting.

“Do you know his blood type?” The paramedic broke into her reverie, looking at Kaneko.

He at least had the sense to look ashamed. “I do not.”

The paramedic shrugged, turning back to his cooler to grab a blood bag. Kaneko looked at his hands.

“Kaneko?” Ellie turned to him. It didn’t look like his thoughts were taking him anywhere pleasant. “What happened back there?”

He let out a sigh, long, loud, and slouched down. “It was Colt’s plan.”

“What was Colt’s plan?”

“The other detective, the one your dad shot….he was in The Brotherhood.” Kaneko looked at her as she tried to process. “He is the contact who you saw meeting with me after the Grapevine job.”

Ellie’s mind whirled. “We barely saw him, it was so dark.”

“Colt recognized his voice and came up with this plan.”

“The plan was to get shot?!?” She couldn’t keep the tremor out of her voice. She watched the paramedic give Colt blood, watched it draining into his arm. They had stopped the bleeding, but she could still see the pool of red on the factory floor behind her eyelids.

“The plan was to get him alone.”

Ellie thought for a second. “…he needed to somehow separate him, away from other cops.”

Kaneko nodded, dull eyes trained on his son. “Your dad helped with that part. Create a diversion where your dad could follow from a distance, get him in the car alone, get him talking….”

“My dad wanted a confession, didn’t he?” Ellie’s eyes widened. “He wore a wire.” 

“We didn’t know how many people were involved, didn’t know if there were other dirty cops.” Kaneko shook his head. “This was too dangerous, but Colt insisted.”

Ellie turned back to Colt, still and quiet. The paramedic was getting another bag of blood ready. “Of course he did….”

The ambulance slowed and the siren turned off. “Almost there folks,” the paramedic called, hooking up the second bag.

Kaneko turned to her. “He didn’t want you there. He didn’t want you there for this.”

Ellie felt the tears prick her eyes. “Of course not…” He knew how she would react, seeing him assault her dad. He knew. And now all she could do was replay their last interaction in her head, the things she said to him, the slap, all echoing. 

The ambulance stopped and, seconds later, the doors open, a flurry of activity outside. People, nurses, doctors, she couldn’t even tell, pulling the stretcher out, moving, through the ER doors. 

She followed with Kaneko, trying to keep up, but it was pointless. They were moving too fast, Kaneko still hobbling. She watched them go through a set of double doors, wheels squeaking as they sped away.

“Mr. Kaneko?” A receptionist walked over to them, clipboard in hand. “Can I see you at Registration?”

Kaneko gave her one last look and patted her shoulder, twice, before turning away. “Of course.”

Ellie stood alone, awkwardly, in the ER waiting room, taking in the drab walls, the worn carpet, the fish tank. Finally, with leaden legs, she walked over to a chair, fell into it, and started to sob.

~~~~~

_A week later…._

The walk down to Colt’s room took forever as Ellie dragged her feet. It felt like ages since she had been down here, like another lifetime had happened in between then and now. She remembered how excited and nervous she was last time; now, all she felt was sadness.

She knocked a few times and was about to turn the handle when Colt pulled open the door, blinking against the light. He was disheveled, pajama pants low, exposing a tempting patch of skin near his hips. Ellie quickly averted her eyes; she had to stay focused.

Colt’s face fell as he caught sight of the expression on her face. “Hi. Uhhh….” He brought a hand up to his head, smoothing down his mussed hair. ”Come in.”

Ellie walked in, slowly, taking in the familiar surroundings. “Hey.” She took a deep breath, turning to him as he closed the door behind her. “I wanted to let you know that I am going home. I’m going back to my dad.”

Colt nodded, wary. “Okay. Okay, that’s….I’m glad you two talked.”

“Yeah….” Ellie bit her lip before continuing. “So, I just wanted to say goodbye.”

She saw his eyes widen as he looked her over, bag over her shoulder and steel in her eyes. “….You’re not coming back, are you?”

“No,” Her eyes dropped to his feet. “I’m not.”

He took a step forward. “Ellie….”

“This life isn’t for me. Not anymore. I can’t do this.” Finally, her voice was steady enough that she could meet his eyes. “I’m out, Colt.”

“You don’t have to cut us all out. You don’t have to work-”

“I can’t do this, Colt!” She didn’t mean to raise her voice, but this was harder than she anticipated. Colt looked broken in front of her, face falling, bandage covering his arm. Tears started flowing down her cheeks, only a few at first. “I can’t do this.” 

“What if we-”

The tears were coming faster. Shit. “This is insane. It always was and I got so caught up with the adventure, with you.” She shook her head, frowning darkly. “I got so caught up and I need to get out.”

“What if-”

“I SAW YOU BLEEDING OUT COLT!” She was full-on crying now, heaving sobs escaping her lungs. She saw him freeze, jaw slackening as he took her in. Ellie looked at the floor and continued, quieter. Neither her words nor her tears would stop now. “You could have died. I was right there and you were bleeding and it wouldn’t stop and I couldn’t do anything about it. Do you know what it’s like, to be completely powerless, watching someone pass out and not knowing if they would ever wake up again? I thought you were going to die.”

“Ellie….” he was rubbing his left arm, near the bandage, the memory of that awful night. Would he have a scar? Probably, right? She assumed that bullet wounds left lasting scars. She also thought the scars would be limited to people who were shot, but she knew she wouldn’t be the same either. “Ellie, I’m ok.”

“And next time? The next time?” Ellie looked down, shaking her head. “I can’t do this anymore.”

Colt paused, considering. “What if I went back to school?”

Ellie stopped. Of all the possible options, she hadn’t thought of that one. “I don’t know….” She thought. “Would you? Make that decision? And leave this life? Would you really do that?” 

The look on his face gave her all the answer she needed. 

She laughed, darkly, stepping closer. All she wanted was one last look. One last time, to study the curve of his jaw, the light in his eyes. She was so close she could hear him breathing, steady in the quiet room. He put his hand to her cheek, so careful; little did he know she was already broken. One last kiss, slowly kissing his top lip, bottom lip, watching his eyelashes flutter as he looked down at her.

“Goodbye, Colt.” She brushed by him, the thud of the door final behind her as she headed back to her car.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I still love you though. I still love you though. I still love you always….Keep the evenings long, let’s not crack and break and part ways.” -An Evening I Will Not Forget/ Furthest Thing, Dermot Kennedy

Colt sped up the highway, recklessly. He should probably slow down but he was itching to go, to be as close to flying as he could get. He popped a wheelie, but quickly pulled out of it. He remembered the last time, pulling a wheelie on this road, the laughter in his ear and the arms wrapped around his waist, and the memories hit so hard that he had to slow before he lost control of the bike.

He ducked off the overpass and arrived at the cliff side just in time to see the last rays of the setting summer sun slip below the water. This was his spot, his favorite place since he was a kid, where he learned to fly when he thought he would fall.

He worried he was falling now. Maybe he had already fallen and hadn’t realized it.

The memories were here too, in this place, the last time he flew off of this cliff and landed in the water. He sat, legs dangling off the cliff. You never knew when it was going to be the last time, until it was too late. He wondered if he would have done anything differently, held her a little tighter, kissed her a little longer, but he didn’t think it would have changed anything. He would still be here, at this cliff side, alone.

At least he didn’t have to worry about The Brotherhood. Ellie’s dad was able to use the conversation in the cruiser with that asshole dirty copy to round up the task force,  _fuck,_  an entire task force. The downside was that the police now knew who he was, knew who his dad was; they would have to be careful. However, it was worth it. He had taken their freedom back and his dad was safe.

He sat, mulling over the last few weeks and, when the wind started to pierce through his leather jacket and chill his bones, he stood, wiping his hands on his pants, and headed back.

It was dark and still when he got to the shop. He was still lost in his own head as he took off the helmet, putting it on the bike.

Turning at soft footsteps, he saw his father making his way over from the office. “Hey, Pop.”

Wordlessly, his dad handed him an envelope. Colt’s breath caught as he saw the familiar seal. He ripped it open and skimmed.

His dad cleared his throat. “Whatever you decide, there is always a place for you here.”

Colt met his father’s eyes, still clutching the letter, and nodded. He watched Pop walk away, slowly, and stared down at the paper. Fuck.

~~~~~

_A world away…_

“You were here all summer?!?! That is so cool!”

Ellie flushed as her roommate bounced around the room. Julia had more energy than anyone she had ever met and Ellie felt guilty that she wasn’t able to match her level of excitement.

Julia grinned at her, wickedly. “You can show me all the best spots! You must have had so much fun." 

Ellie felt her heart break a little more. The summer had been…challenging. She loved school work, loved studying and throwing herself into something she was good at, but it was hard. She was second guessing herself constantly. Was walking away from the crew really the right move? Was this the life she wanted? If so, why wasn’t she happier? It felt like a lifetime ago, a fever dream of cars and crime, bad decisions she would make all over again, given the chance.

And then there was Colt. She couldn’t even think his name without her chest aching. A couple times yesterday, when everyone was moving in for the fall semester, she heard motorcycles winding through campus and had to physically stop herself from looking.

She blinked, trying not to let her eyes water.  She really hoped Langston wouldn’t be this awful for the next four years. 

"Ellie?”

Julia looked concerned and Ellie plastered on a grin. “Sure, I can show you around.”

Her roommate beamed and hugged her, grabbing her hand and almost dragging her out the door. Ellie followed along slowly, watching Julia grab more classmates until they were a clump, heading out the door.

Ellie pointed out the library, the cafeteria, and halfheartedly took the group to the campus student center. Everyone else was excited and Ellie felt bad for meeting their warmth by being glum. She knew she was currently a bit of a downer; maybe this entire summer had been a bit of a downer.

They wandered into the basement of the student center and Ellie froze as they entered the room. There were other students milling about but her eyes were drawn to the two pool tables in the center of the room.

“Ooh, let’s play!” Julia headed to the table, pulling a few classmates with her.

Ellie frowned, following the group, feet dragging. “You know, I’m actually good. You guys go ahead.” She gestured to the stairs. “I’m gonna head back-”

“What if we made a bet?” Ellie felt her heart stop as a voice behind her called out. She spun around, so fast she overbalanced and had to collect herself.

Slowly, she swallowed and looked up. A smirk blooming across full lips. Playful eyes, challenging her. “This time, I think I will collect my win.”

Ellie launched herself forward, jumping into his arms and meeting his lips so hard he had to take a step back. Colt chuckled, deep in his throat, and kissed her back, wrapping an arm around her waist and one in her hair. They stayed like that, kissing in the middle of the crowd, oblivious to everyone and everything around them. All Ellie could see, all she could feel, all she could think, was Colt and his arms and his lips and her hopes and her dreams and the fact that he was here, thousands of miles from LA.

She pulled back when she realized that tears were streaming down her cheeks. She could hear her classmates, confused, chattering behind her. “What are you doing here?”

Colt ran his thumb over the tears on her face. “Classes start tomorrow.”

“Wait, you go here? I thought…”

Colt grinned, meeting her lips in a soft kiss. “I told you I was smart. And I didn’t drop out, just deferred. I had to come back.” She never wanted to move from his arms. “…I wanted to come back.”

Ellie’s brain wasn’t working. She couldn’t even think, just stare at him. “Did you know we would go to the same school?”

“Ha. You never took that damn sweater off. I knew I would find you.”

“What about your dad?”

“He can manage the shop now. I thought maybe it was time for me to make some different decisions about my life.”

Ellie felt the tears start anew and leaned in, again, lips finding his, a kiss, a promise. Langston was going to be freaking awesome.


End file.
